I'll be the one
I guess you were lost when I met you
Still there were tears in your eyes
So out of trust and I knew
No more than mysteries and lies
There you were, wild and free
Reachin' out like you needed me
A helping hand to make it right
I am holding you all through the night
I'll be the one. I'll be the one
Who will make all your sorrows undone
I'll be the light. I'll be the light
When you feel like there's nowhere to run
I'll be the one
I'll be the light
Where you can run
To make it alright
I can't believe what Ichiro did.
To forget an important promise and run off to the tatemae like that...
I'm really sorry.
Oh, don't worry about it.
Everyone forgets a little promise like that once in a while.
But because of that, Youhei-kun had to shave himself bald...
Well he won't have to go to the barber for a while.
Turns out to be economical.
And Ichiro-chan didn't mean any harm.
Moreover, our son was an idiot to bet on shaving themselves bald...
when their baseball team couldn't even win without depending on their pinch-hitter
I'm really glad you feel that way.
Oh, you've gotten so big, Youko-chan!
She's a year and two months old now.
Other folks' kids seem to grow every time you see them.
How about you, missus? Another one perhaps?
Not a chance.
I've got my hands full with just Ichiro.
Oh, but if Ichiro-chan was to have a younger sibling,
he might become a responsible older brother.
Not likely.
The most he could do is set a bad example.
RUN, MELON
But Melon was funny, Youhei.
How dare that Ichiro mess around like that.
I'm never gonna speak to him again.
But you know, if I was gonna lie, I would've come up with a better name than that.
Yeah, with a name like Melon, it's gotta be a lie, no doubt about it.
But it's not like Ichiro to lie like that, right, Youhei?
I dunno.
My dad was saying that Ichiro might have been possessed by something.
Maybe he's been possessed by a melon!
Yeah, it wouldn't be strange for Ichiro to be possessed by food.
Man, all this talk is making me crave some melon.
Note: The kind of melon they're talking about, honeydew melon, is very expensive in Japan - about $100 a piece - so people tend to only give them as gifts when someone is sick.
You can't eat any melon unless you fall sick.
I eat melons all the time.
Regular gourds don't count as melons.
Tangerine
Oh, it's an abandoned puppy!
It's cute!
-It's cute! - Y-You think?
Isn't he kinda big for an abandoned pup?
Your tastes are kinda weird, Porky.
You won't be able to keep him, right?
Your mom will scold you again.
Come on, let's go.
Don't you already have like 10 dogs at home?
Nope, 11.
And nine cats, two ducks, five turtles, some crayfish and...
And one big Porker!
Hey Youhei, let's go!
Y-Yeah!
Tangerine
Melon
M... Melon...
Really?
Yes. Thank you, Ichiro-kun.
How about tomorrow?
Is it really too late?
I'll make Youhei remember it tomorrow for sure...
No, if I don't return now, I won't make it in time.
So it really is a question of whether you live or die?
I-I'm gonna run and get ahold of Youhei right away-
It's really all right.
But I couldn't help you at all.
No, you've done enough.
You listened to my unreasonable request without asking any questions.
Thank you.
Lady...
Sorry to have gotten you injured like that.
Well, I'll be off then.
Thank you, Ichiro-kun.
Lady...
I'm sorry, lady!
I'm sorry!
Geez, don't settle on me!
Ichiro!
You were here?!
I've been looking all over for you, you idiot!
You're the idiot!
It's too late now!
As of now, I'm never gonna speak to you again!
Leave that for later.
You really are possessed!
But thanks to that, I've finally remembered.
Melon!
I've remembered about Melon!
Really, Youhei?
You've really remembered?!
Yeah.
I'm gonna head out to my gran'ma's place in the countryside right now.
Huh? Right now?
I'm going right now and I'm gonna fulfill my promise.
You wanna come along, Ichiro?
Yeah.
Oh, but I don't have any money for the train!
Leave the money to me!
I ran home and stole Mom's wallet just now.
But that Melon lady told me we wouldn't make it in time even if we went there now!
She's no lady!
Melon is a cat!
A-A cat?!
You mean the kind that goes meow?!
You made a promise with a cat?!
That's right!
Got a problem with that?!
No...
So you were a cat...
Last summer vacation, my mom was hospitalized for her delivery.
So I went to my gran'ma's place in the countryside, right?
Yeah.
There aren't any kids anywhere near my gran'ma's place. So I was really bored.
I went fishing and played by the river next to her house every day.
Well, then you should've just invited me.
One day, when I was fishing as usual...
When I opened the box,
there were five completely drenched kittens inside.
Most of them were dead.
Only one was still alive.
They threw them into the river when they were still alive?!
There's some cruel people out there.
Anyway, I just couldn't leave her alone.
I asked my gran'ma if we could keep her,
but she doesn't like cats.
And my gran'pa has allergies too.
So in the end, she told me to throw it out somewhere.
Since it was her home I couldn't insist on keeping her.
But I couldn't throw her away either.
Melon
I picked up a melon box that was to be chopped up for firewood,
placed it in a safe-looking spot near the river,
and made it her home.
Well, I called it a home, but it was just a wooden box.
That's good, Melon.
Do you like your new home?
That's why she's Melon...
No wonder she had such a weird name.
After that, I'd bring food to her every day.
Together we'd grill the fish I caught.
I'd play with Melon from morning till dark.
My boring days suddenly became really fun.
So I promised Melon...
"When I return home, we'll go together."
I promised her that I'd raise her at my place.
Let's live together at my place, Melon.
It's a promise, Melon.
Together forever and ever.
While I called it a promise, it's not that big a deal.
It's so small that even if he forgot about it, I can't really be mad at him.
Yeah.
It's so small that it can't really be called a promise.
Th-That's not small at all!
Lady...
Why didn't you keep the promise?
Did your dad get mad and say no?
No, I haven't told my dad about it.
Until just a few moments ago today I'd totally absolutely, just clean forgotten about Melon.
Why?!
I don't believe it myself.
I think at that time, my dad called us at my gran'ma's place about my mom in the hospital...
Youhei! Youhei!
Your dad just called asking you to come home right away!
Oh, the baby?
Is it born?
No, that's not it.
Gran'ma...
It can't be... It can't be that Mom's...
Apparently my moms pregnancy had advanced to the point of danger.
So they decided to cut her stomach open.
The phone call was asking me to come home right away.
On the train ride home, all I could think of was what we'd do if my mom died.
- Stop crying, little boy. - On the train ride home, all I could think of was what we'd do if my mom died.
Would you like a boiled egg?
All thoughts of Melon were just clean gone from my head.
Mom...
Don't die, Mom...
SUEKICHI GENERAL HOSPITAL
Mom!
In the end, my mom's operation was successful and my sister was born safely.
After that, I had to take care of the baby while my mom was in the hospital...
because Dad just couldn't be trusted with her.
Youhei, you're one minute over time.
Okay.
Thanks to that, I was really busy.
Even after my mom was discharged, it ended up always being me looking after the baby.
It took time for me to return to being just a regular elementary school kid.
Oh yeah, there was that period when you wouldn't play with us, right?
Because of all that, until a few moments ago I'd just completely forgotten everything...
About Melon, and my promise with her.
I...
I suck.
In that case, Youhei, you shouldn't have blamed me so hard for forgetting my promise.
And why's that?
That's got nothing to do with this!
I broke my promise with Melon.
So no matter how much she blames me I'll spend a lifetime making it up to her.
You broke your promise to me.
So spend a lifetime making it up to me.
Anyway, for some reason Melon possessed you 'cause she had something to tell me.
She didn't possess me.
But... it's true that she wanted you to help her.
We should be at the station in about an hour.
Then we run, Ichiro.
All right.
Lady... Youhei's on his way.
So hang in there.
Melon, please be safe.
Melon...
Will I make it in time?
YAMANONAKA STATION
Run, Ichiro!
There's hardly any cars around, so run!
How far is it?
It's about a 30-minute walk,
so we should be there in 15 if we run.
15 minutes?!
Why couldn't you have remembered sooner?!
Shut up!
Don't say it!
That's why when I first said it you should've...
That's because you said it was a lady!
That's why I took so long to remember!
You idiot!
What, so it's my fault now?
Even though you'd forgotten it for a whole year?!
I know that!
So just shut up!
Melon... I'm sorry.
Why had I forgotten until now?!
Melon...!
Youhei...
There was a story called "Run, Melos," right?
The one you like?
Yeah, what about it?
Isn't it kinda like that now?
Run, Melon!
What're you talking about, you idiot?!
We're the ones running, not Melon!
Oh... That's right...
Ichiro! This is a shortcut.
Oh no! I feel really worried for some reason!
Is this the right way?
You think she'll still be in the same place?
She'll be there. I'm sure of it!
She's been believing in me and waiting for me all this time.
Melon...
I'm sorry for being late.
I'm coming to get you now.
Melon!
MELON!
Move!
Move aside!
Go away!
Move!
I...
I didn't make it in time!
Go away!
Move it!
Melon... Melon...
Melon...
Melon... Melon...
Melon!
I... I...
I didn't make it in time!
Th-There's...
three little ones.
I'm sorry, Ichiro-kun.
I made you run a lot.
L-Lady...
Lady, if only you'd told me you were a cat from the start.
Then Youhei would have remembered a lot sooner too.
No.
Youhei-kun saved my life once already.
I'd been cast away by humans,
and Youhei-kun rescued me from the long, long, terrifying hours in the dark.
He gave me shelter.
He taught me to fish.
And more than anything, he played a lot with me.
I had a lot of fun.
That's why it was enough.
If it weren't for the little ones, I wouldn't have come to Youhei-kun for help.
It's always been peaceful here.
But a little while ago, a wild dog found it's way here.
I fought with it many times, and my wounds got severe.
When I realized that I wouldn't be able to run away anymore...
I thought to seek help from Youhei-kun.
If only we'd gotten here sooner...
No.
The wound I got in the beginning was severe, and I wouldn't have survived anyway.
So I expected that I would be dying here, together with my babies.
And I'd almost given up.
But when I realized that my babies have yet to experience any real joy...
I couldn't help asking Youhei-kun for...
Yeah. Youhei's fun.
I'm sure they'll find joy with him.
Even though he's a little strict with me.
But... wh-what should I do, Ichiro-kun?
I was only thinking of myself, and I've made Youhei-kun...
cry...
cry so much...
It's all right.
It's fine.
Because Youhei is a man among men.
After that, Youhei cried his heart out.
Then both of us were scolded by Youhei's gran'ma,
- who got the news from his mom. - Do you understand how worried everyone's been since discovering you had disappeared?
Do you understand how worried everyone's been since discovering you had disappeared?
- Do you understand how worried everyone's been since discovering you had disappeared? - Actually, since Youhei wouldn't stop crying...
I got scolded for both of us.
And then...
We buried Melon in a safe spot by the river.
I had a hard time pulling Youhei away from the grave.
And then we went home on the last train.
It's a promise, right, Dad?
W-Well, I did say that, but...
There's three of them...
I'm gonna keep my promise with Melon.
So you keep your promise to me, Dad.
Well, it doesn't really make a difference if it's one or three.
In exchange for that, you must not skip a single calligraphy class again.
So you're saying you won't skip if Ichiro-chan goes with you too?
Eh?! Me go with him?!
Don't pretend you're sorry
I know you're not
You know you got the power
To make me weak inside
Girl you leave me breathless
But it's okay
'Cause you are my survival
Now hear me say
I can't imagine
Life without your love
Even forever don't seem like long enough
'Cause everytime I breathe I take you in
And my heart beats again
Baby I can't help it
You keep me drowning in your love
Everytime I try to rise above
I'm swept away by love
Baby I can't help it
You keep me drowning in your love
It's almost Christmas!
The old man at the soba store asked me to deliver a present for him.
But the guy I'm supposed to deliver it to, Takahito, refuses to even take a look at it.
And to top it off, he's calling me a liar!
Dammit!
Yo, Takahito!
There's poor little kids out there in the world that get presents only once in an entire year!
So when someone gives you one, just take it!
To me, Christmas is just the anniversary of my father's death.
CHRISTMAS PRESENT